Police identify suspect in Dayton area Walmart shooting

Police say a man with a gun walked into the store Monday around 8:30 p.m. and started shooting.
Published: Nov. 21, 2023 at 11:03 AM EST|Updated: Nov. 21, 2023 at 2:48 PM EST
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BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WXIX) - Beavercreek police released new details in the Dayton area Walmart shooting that left four people injured on Monday evening.

Beavercreek Police Capt. Chad Lindsey identified the alleged shooter as 20-year-old Benjamin Charles Jones, of Dayton, during Tuesday’s press conference.

A witness in the store called 911 to report a man walking into Walmart with a rifle a little at 8:36 p.m., Capt. Lindsey said. Within one minute, officers were dispatched, arriving at 8:39 p.m.

Within a few minutes, four adult shoppers were shot - three females and one male, police said. As of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, one female victim remains in critical condition and the other three are considered to be stable.

Redacted body camera footage shows an officer finding the shooter on the ground by the Vision Center at 8:42 p.m. with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, explained Lindsey.

The gun Jones used was a high-point .45-caliber carbine long gun, according to Dayton police.

By 9:14 p.m., officers were clearing the scene.

As of now, the motive is unknown.

Dayton police said Tuesday that they had little interaction with Jones prior to Monday’s shooting. Jones’ Dayton residence was searched, according to Dayton police.

Cincinnati FBI is assisting police in the ongoing investigation.

Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone told reporters that the city will be working with Walmart to see if there is anything safety-wise that could be improved.

Watch the whole press conference below:

Walmart released the following statement to FOX19 NOW:

This is the second major shooting incident at the Beavercreek Walmart in just under a decade.

John Crawford III, 22, of Fairfield, was fatally shot by police in the store in 2014. A caller told the 911 dispatcher that he was waving a rifle around, but later retracted that statement.

MORE: No charges for cop who shot man at Beavercreek Walmart

Police say Crawford was not obeying police orders as they commanded him to drop the weapon.

After the fatal shooting, officers learned that the 22-year-old was holding an airsoft gun, according to the Associated Press.

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